Fake Camels

When my parents returned from their visit to Israel in 1984, they told me this story:

We were driving outside the city and your Aunt exclaimed “Oh! Look at the Camels!” And sure enough right outside our window there were people with camels waving and smiling.
From the front the driver grumbled ”Those are fake camels.”

From the first I got what he meant, but I understand it more each day.

Seasonal Shopping
If you are trying to economize on those days you don’t have FN meals, be sure you are shopping for seasonal food. It is simplest economics, and it helps if you garden. In cool seasons, cool season crops are most abundant, so they are cheaper and vice versa for hot seasons. Cool season crops are cabbages, roots, and some leafy greens right? Tomatoes, melons, green beans, and sweet corn are not, so you pay premium price for an inferior quality with a higher ecologic impact from transportation and third world production.
If you really need a lycopene fix however, try the technique below.
When my 2 year old and I go into the produce section of the supermarket we inevitably walk past the icebox watermelons, strawberries, and grapes on our way to get parsley, escarole, rutabagas, or bean sprouts. He says to me now, “Those are fake watermelons aren’t they, Papa?”

Citrus is the glorious exception. Get it now at its peak and gorge a little bit. The orange-grapefruit hybrid is my favorite.

Sun Dried Tomato Sauce

Rehydrate 2 handfuls (cups) of sundried tomatoes ($2.89/# ~4 cups) with hot water in a lidded container. Overnight is great. These keep in their liquid 5 days, refrigerated. Cook onion, garlic, and aromatic herb/spices/fats. Add 1 cup tomato product or other liquid/broth etc. Puree and add the sun dried toms and simmer the sauce until tight. This rocks on pasta, pizza, or swirled into a stew or soup.
For greater quantities just convert cups into the parts of a ratio. Ratio cooking is the key to jazz cooking. And, did you get a scale yet? Are you using it?